Man airlifted to KU Med after auto accident east of Baldwin City, vehicle was being pursued by Wellsville Police

A 24-year-old Olathe man was transported by LifeStar helicopter to Kansas University Medical Center after a single-vehicle accident early Sunday morning on E. 2300 Road in southeast Douglas County.

According to a news release issued by the Wellsville Police Department, the accident occurred while the vehicle — traveling north in the 200 block of E. 2300 Road around 1:30 a.m. — was being pursued by Wellsville police who had initially attempted to stop the vehicle on Poplar Street in Wellsville.

Sgt. Steve Lewis of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said the vehicle, a 2007 Mini Cooper, overturned when the roadway changed from pavement to gravel. The man was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled "a couple of times," Lewis said.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the accident, suspects alcohol is a contributing factor. Charges are pending.